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There is no question that our dependence on fossil fuels is a key cause of climate change. For example, British Columbia’s oil and gas sector accounted for 20 per cent of the province’s greenhouse gas emissions in 2006. At the national level, the Alberta oil sands account for five per cent of Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions and have become emblematic world-wide of government’s and industry’s failure to quickly and effectively address climate change concerns.

Nevertheless, as we are seeing in BC, the shift away from fossil fuels to sustainable renewable energy sources will not be easy. While independent power projects (IPPs) may generate clean or renewable electricity from a climate change perspective, they are not necessarily “green”, and are associated with a host of concerns.

Within this context, West Coast Environmental Law strives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by working on projects that shift us away from on our reliance on fossil fuels and towards sustainable renewable energy sources.

Areas of work:

  • Coalbed Methane - West Coast Environmental Law has been working hard on the CBM front for several years. Coalbed methane (“CBM”) is a natural gas that forms in coal and exists in pockets throughout British Columbia. CBM represents a unique and significant threat to the environment.
  • Responsible Green Energy Development - Developing legal frameworks for independent power project (IPP) that will minimize their impact on the environment and local communities:
  • Tar Sands, Tankers and Pipelines - Blocking the west coast gateway for oil exports from the Alberta tar sands by obtaining a legislated ban on crude oil tankers off BC’s north coast.
     

 For a list of all West Coast Energy publications, please click here.